For anyone thinking Tyrone Tracy Jr. was going to put his preseason struggles behind him and start the 2026 season on the right foot, you thought wrong.
The New York Giants third-year back carried the ball just twice in Sunday night’s 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. His first went for six yards. His second went for eight before he coughed up the football near Dallas’ 20-yard line. And that was the last we saw of TTJ for the night. Not exactly the bounce-back performance he, or really anyone, was hoping for after limping his way through the preseason.
Maybe it’s time to fire up the Amazon account and order another pair of those grip strengtheners he bought after fumbling five times as a rookie.
Or maybe Giants fans should start accepting that Tracy is slowly becoming the running back version of an old friend: Darius Slayton. It feels like the Spider-Man pointing meme, with Slayton pointing at Tracy and Tracy pointing right back:
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is giving Giants fans the full Darius Slayton experience
For seven years, Slayton could be one of the most frustrating players to watch. The 29-year-old could blow past a cornerback and turn a deep ball into a 50-yard play, only to drop the next pass that hit him square in the chest -- because it went straight through his hands.
Since entering the league in 2019, Slayton has been credited with 26 drops. And now the Purdue product is starting to give Giants fans that same feeling whenever he touches the ball.
Tracy fumbled five times as a rookie before seemingly fixing the issue last season, when he fumbled only once. Then came this summer, when ball security became a problem once again, followed by Sunday’s fumble against Dallas. At least he’s already proven that he's willing to try just about anything to fix it.
After his rookie season, Tracy ordered grip strengtheners from Amazon to try to fix his fumbling issues. He later credited them with helping improve his grip heading into Year 2, and considering he went from five fumbles to one, who am I to argue with a Prime Day deal?
That’s really where the Slayton comparison begins and ends. Both are talented former fifth-round picks who have given Giants fans plenty of reasons to love watching them play. They also each happen to have one maddening problem involving the most important part of their respective position.
For years, Giants fans held their breath whenever the football headed toward Slayton. Now Tracy’s making us do it every time he runs with it.
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